Dear child of the 7th

I suffered your desire

My Sweet Lord, have mercy

Deliver me from this little tantrum

*****

Because while the city is alive out there

You keep humming James’ song

You don’t remember what you said

About the bones of you

and the summer skin around it.

*****

You kept gazing at the stars

and ignored what I offered

You said I brought home everything

but what you wanted

Maybe you never knew

what that was.

*****

I’m taking the train home

while you keep pounding

A million doves flew

After our story ended

No little souvenirs of that

Terrible year

It wasn’t on a cold Sunday

but on a warm Thursday

*****

Those cherry tulips that we grew

Why did you stomp on then?

We both knew about Johnny Rock’s ballad

I didn’t know I was only your stopgap

Whir yourself around once more

Maybe the fire will be put out

So don’t crash into me again

*****

Your reflection on the television has faded

Well, I guess that’s entertainment

You were deaf to all pleas

Was it the wasps in your ears?

See me chew through the killer bees

More dignified than living on your knees

Waiting for that satellite

*****

We knew what would put us back together right

All the paintings are now skewed slight to the right

And so our coat of arms around our hearts

and that combative monster that saw us by the river

still stands upright, his memory remembers most

while all we felt has now turned to dust

*****

Now, the good that won’t come out of me

Will haunt this cedar room

Now’s when everything we felt fails

Memories all crumble to dust

Enjoy your kingdom of rust.

Words: S.J.